“We are really trying to attack the rim and get the ball to the paint,” said coach Jeff Bzdelik. “We’re much more effective when we get the ball to the paint and play from the inside out.”

Wake Forest was able to do that for the first 12 minutes of the game or so, attacking the rim while getting eight points from freshman guard Miles Overton. Overton finished with 12 points, a career high.

“I think we started off really well,” Overton said. “(We were) just trying to stay focused on the game plan. Don’t let the crowd get into you, just focus on yourself.”

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said: “Overton stepped up right away and got eight quick points for them. We had a tough time defending them for the first 12 minutes.”

The Demon Deacons took a 28-26 lead with a Madison Jones free throw with 6:52 left and seemed to be hanging with Duke. But things changed, as the Blue Devils finished the first half on a 20-5 run, establishing a 13-point lead at halftime.

“We turned the ball over four straight times and they scored each time,” Overton said. “We just couldn’t really get stops in, turned the ball over too much.”

The second half wasn’t much different as Wake Forest could never establish offensive consistency. After shooting 50 percent (12-of-24) from the floor in the first half, Bzdelik’s squad managed 15 field-goal attempts in the second frame, hitting just seven while dealing with Duke’s tight man-to-man press.

Bzdelik said the Blue Devils’ 3-point shooting (12-for-26 for the game) really hampered Wake Forest’s efforts, as well as that run to close out the first half.

“We just lost our poise there for a few minutes, and you can’t do that,” he said.

Thomas led Wake Forest with 14 points, but had four of the Demon Deacons’ 19 turnovers. Guard Coron Williams, who hadn’t had a single turnover in ACC play in 221 minutes of action entering Tuesday’s game, had three.

But the Demon Deacons missed their floor director.

“(Miller-McIntyre)’s a great player,” Overton said. “Personally, I think he’s the best point guard in this league. Missing somebody as good as him is hard and you’re going to struggle at times.”